Westone MACH 80 Review – Old Wisdom
Though lacking the pizzaz of competitors, the MACH 80 masterfully combines a diffuse-field neutral-inspired tuning with all-day listenability and comfort making it an appealing all-around package.
Though lacking the pizzaz of competitors, the MACH 80 masterfully combines a diffuse-field neutral-inspired tuning with all-day listenability and comfort making it an appealing all-around package.
The loss of separation and balance do mire an otherwise impressive and capable platform meaning the Emerald Sea appeals more to bass lovers also wanting superb resolving power rather than fans of the original models.
The OH700VB is a prime instance where we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, providing a super engaging, thumping sub-bass that has been meticulously tuned not to encroach upon the Harman-inspired midrange and treble.
The Blessing 3 offers performance that was once only available in the kilo-buck price range now but is now well within the reach of the average audiophile.
The ORA is a beautifully streamlined, versatile and powerful compact speaker that provides a refined experience at what remains an attainable price point.
The OD100 delivers a sound technical performance with an appealing tonality augmented by near class-leading build quality, compactness and ergonomics.
This cable suits those wanting to extract every iota of potential from their high-end IEM whilst staying true to its core intended character.
While The T-100 would benefit from easier tuning via filters or tips, there is a charm in a tuning that is so focused on delivering on one particular measure where modern earphones assume more of a jack-of-all-trades approach.
Turbulent Labs’ headband will uphold a great user experience for many years to come and at what I consider to be a very reasonable price for a high-end headphone part.
The Purgatorio is a masterful creation that rightfully earns its flagship moniker in every sense.
While the Stellaris’ efficiency and sound ergonomics seem to appeal to broad consumers, its polarising tuning means it inevitably comes across as more of a proof of concept rather than a versatile daily driver.
The Raphael is for the listener wanting much of the experience of an exotic high-end cable at a midrange price.
Eletech’s latest may not be their most premium models but offer superb ergonomics in two flavours of sound, both underpinned by strong technical performance.
What Yaxi has done here is in good taste as the changes aren’t excessive, upholding superb comfort whilst enhancing natural timbre and smoothness without robbing space or openness.
Those wanting balance steer clear, for the Orbit excels at what it set out to deliver; that being a rich, larger-than-life listening experience sans other superfluous features.
The Z5 faces tough competition, even internally from Lypertek’s own line-up however, to balance sound quality and lifestyle features with such aplomb must be recognised.